What You Need to Know Before Riding Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
We rode Tiana's Bayou Adventure and there are some important things you NEED to know before riding this attraction for yourself. This ride takes place AFTER the first movie, so there is an all new story and setting that you'll want to know about to make sure you catch all the details in the queue and attraction. We are diving deep into that backstory, telling you our best tips and tricks for riding this attraction when it officially opens on June 28th, and of course giving you our POV of the attraction itself! WARNING - LOTS of Spoilers!
You can watch our full ride experience here:
What is it?
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure officially opens on June 28th, 2024 and is a major re-theme of the classic Splash Mountain attraction. This is a log flume type ride with several drops including a full 50 foot drop near the end. YES, you WILL get wet!
The height requirement for this is 40” and the new theme and storyline makes this a great family friendly attraction. You can find this ride in Frontierland (in Magic Kingdom) next to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Just look for the sound of splashing logs and look for the lush Bayou theming!
Virtual Queue & Genie+
When this attraction opens, you will NOT be able to just walk up and ride. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be operating off of a virtual queue for at least the first couple of weeks (no official word on when that will end).
To join the virtual queue, you will need to log on to your My Disney Experience app and join from the Virtual Queue tab. Just like other rides that offer virtual queue, the first ‘drop’ will be available starting at 7am. This is for any guest with valid park admission (and park pass reservation for those that need them - looking at you Annual Passholders).
You do NOT need to be in the park for this one, but I do recommend getting off your wifi and potentially having two of you trying for it for a better chance of snagging one. Just make sure you both have everyone selected! Don’t worry, it will only let one of you actually get one, so you won’t mess anything up.
If you are unable to snag the first Virtual Queue drop, a second one will be offered at 1pm. This operates the same EXCEPT for the fact that you must be scanned in and INSIDE of Magic Kingdom. If you are hoping to ride at night, this is probably the drop that you want to look out for!
It is SUPER IMPORTANT to know that the virtual queue is NOT a skip the line thing. This is just holding your spot in line for the regular queue. Expect your wait to be around an hour give or take.
If you want to skip the line, you’ll need to utilize Disney Genie+. This is an additional paid offering where you can book ‘Lightning Lanes’ to enter the fast line of an attraction. You can learn all about how Genie+ works HERE.
This is going to be a POPULAR attraction when it first opens, so I highly recommend opting to book this as your very first Lightning Lane of the day. If you are looking for some assistance with booking your Lightning Lanes or simply don’t want to spend as much time on your phones, you can check out my favorite third party app Standby Skipper! You can learn about how this app books your Lightning Lanes FOR you, saving you time to get OFF your phone and be more present on vacation HERE.
If you want to double dip on this ride, you can try to go for BOTH the Virtual Queue AND the Lightning Lane!
The Backstory
Ok, now that you know HOW to ride, you need to know what this ride is all about! This is one that is SO cool to experience, but if you don’t know the story, you might miss A LOT of what is going on.
This attraction takes place after the movie when Tiana has purchased a salt mine and turned it into Tiana’s Foods - an employee owned co-op.
“This multi-faceted enterprise has turned the aging salt mine into a space that has come alive. Complete with a boutique farm and both a working and teaching kitchen, Tiana’s Foods is where Tiana and her colleagues create all sorts of new products that they are bringing to the world, including a line of original hot sauces.”
You’ll find the children’s garden full of veggies in the outdoor queue and even see Tiana’s kitchen prepping beignets for the big Mardi Gras Party!
Speaking of Mardi Gras, this is where our story comes to life. Tiana is throwing a BIG bash for her friends and family featuring her famous recipes and some jazzy music from our favorite Gator Louis.
But Louis needs a band to play with and that is where YOU come in. You are going to help Tiana and Louis search high and low all through the bayou for some jammin critters to be a part of the band for the party.
More New Things to Look out for!
Of course there will be lots of tasty new treats to enjoy when this attraction officially opens, including Tiana’s Famous Beignets! You can find several new treats and eats at Golden Oak Outpost right around the corner from the ride including Hot Honey Chicken, Shrimp Gumbo, and Beignets.
You’ll also find some other eats and treats around the park to celebrate the opening! These are all going to be for a limited time, so grab them while you can! You can find the full list of eats and treats HERE.
You are also going to want to check out the adorable new Critter Co-Op and Tiana’s Bayou General. The Critter Co-Op is where you will find all your plushies, ride merch, and even a fun interactive Lightning Bug shoulder buddy!
Images Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog
These gift shops will not be available on opening day, but you can find the merchandise available in the Emporium until it does open.
Tiana’s Bayou General is the Photopass store where you can purchase your ride photos and even pose with some fun photo ops! They will also probably have merchandise for sale at this location as well. This will be located right at the end of the ride just past the Photo Viewing area and Critter Co-Op is right out front!
Are you excited for this new attraction to finally open? I know I am! Tell us in the comments what you are MOST excited for and don’t forget to leave a 🐸 emoji!
